a myth or reality

[the_ bandit]

i regulary fish here , it is locally known as the "icy" it [ was used as a curling pond back in the early 1900s] .

after speaking to anglers that i have bumped into up there there have been storys of tench being caught , i usually set up 1 rod with a size 14 , and a stick float which i catch my perch on , and the other rod is cast out with a joey tail for pike , i must have been up there 10 times there this year and iv had pike and perch big and small on maggots .

if there is tench in there would they take the size 14 with maggot on a float ?

or can anyone suggest a suitable time of day at rig / bait to use to see if i can turn the myth into reality ?

any help would be greatly appreciated ,

mark

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

One sure-fire way is to see them at spawning time. If there's any sort of number in the lake you will see them. Locally, down here in the South, the tench are going mad right now (early June) and the margins are full of them with the smaller males chasing the bigger females around the lake. Amazing sight as they come in really close and thrash themselves stupid on the margin reeds and plants. I would imagine the spawning time up in the frozen north would be somewhat later! From the photo, it looks as though there's a lot of marginal weed/cover in the lake which would be perfect for the spawning to take place.

Classic times to fish for them are early around dawn and the last hour or so before dark. Good old reliable method is to fish worm, meat, corn (or even pellet/small boilie) over a bed of hemp. That way you should avoid the smaller perch and other fish. Groundbaiting could also work.

Use a waggler float fished a few inches over depth and perhaps swap your other pike rod for a "sleeper" rod fishing an open ended feeder or straight lead.

Good luck!

[the_ bandit]

thanks catfish virgin ! i might try meat actually , when i catch perch its still fun filling the keepnet but...... i would like to avoid them for tench for just 1 day lol

and suggestions on the meat? luncheon meat ???

[Catfish Virgin (Still!)]

Originally Posted by the_ bandit

...suggestions on the meat? luncheon meat ???

Good old luncheon meat either cubed or punched (pellet shaped), vary the sizes maybe to cover a 12/14 hook (also good to hair rig it). Don't feed too much meat, I generally put a few hook samples in as well as a few "mashed" or "squeezed" bits in as well. There are a few variations of flavoured meat but it sounds as though the tench in your lake are not often fished for so plain ordinary luncheon meat/bacon grill should do the trick.

Let the bites develop into good positive sail aways before striking/lifting into the fish.

Good luck.

[biggun]

You could try fresh Muscles/Cockles (not the pickled ones) or fresh Prawns. The Tench round here love em!

[koicarp22]

3inch ripped luncheos meat fresh on a size 4 hook free lined.this because i sorta worked for my step dad he hooked a massive 35lb koi carp in seconds of dropping out 2 foot off a peg down and a few meat freebies and corn 10 pieces of corn not too much more than tht some fish get scared because the colour and weather conditions

[the_ bandit]

a size 4 hook seems massive !! iv been using 10s!!

thanks guys

[barbelblanker]

Watch the trees. If there are any near (and I mean in ) the margins then the tench will tend to spawn near them. Probably a little late in the year now but worth a look. Suprisingly tench like a gravel bottom round spawning time. There's the pin bubbles (so called because you get a lot of fizzy little ones rather than a big bubble). That far north I don't know how big they wil be but if they are there then have a go because they are worth the effort. Love em.